EJ neighbors, workers and allies stage a demo during the 2011 Day of Action Against Extraction at Chicago’s Crawford Generating Station (RAN)

Worker Justice is Environmental Justice

Greetings, I just signed the following petition addressed to: the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)

Justice for EJ Workers

Selene Gonzalez and Mike Pitula were long standing employees at LVEJO. Selene worked for the company since August 2009 and Mike worked there since April 2006. During their terms of employment, these highly committed organizers worked tirelessly for environmental justice in the Little Village community. They continued work even when budget cuts to the nonprofit sector required a 25% cut in hours, taking on 2nd and 3rd jobs to make ends meet while continuing to work with community members to promote the development of urban agriculture, open space and public transit.

On November 30, 2011, LVEJO laid off Selene and Mike. Board members of LVEJO claimed this was due to “budgetary concerns.” However, when money became available earlier this year, both organizers were permanently replaced without even being contacted.

Workers at LVEJO are fully cognizant of the real motivations behind management’s decision to terminate Selene and Mike. They had both been active in a concerted effort to improve workplace conditions regarding scheduling discrepancies, worker equality, democracy and transparency within the company.

Prior to being let go, workers at LVEJO had requested to meet with the LVEJO Board of Directors regarding a series of concerns about the Executive Director’s hours, democracy and transparency. Selene and Mike were a part of the voice that made suggestions for increased worker democracy and advocacy within the company.

Employees at LVEJO are regularly encouraged by management to “Speak Up!” regarding their suggestions and concerns. It is clear that management is comfortable when employees do this on an individual level. The attitude starts to change, however, when we come together and begin to act collectively, and speak with a unified voice. The LVEJO Board was split and was either unable or unwilling to agree to meet with quorum to address workers’ concerns.

The reason given to both Selene and Mike regarding their termination was “insuffiicent funds for your position” even though there had been plenty of conversations regarding the good financial standing of the organization.

We strongly believe that Selene and Mike’s termination had nothing to do with “insufficient funds” as both their positions were filled permanently without any intent by LVEJO to connect with Selene or Mike.

We believe that Selene’s and Mike’s termination are in violation of the

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Section 7, which states:

“Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection…”

We believe that management selectively singled Selene and Mike out as a result of their participation in these legally protected acts. To that end, we are in support of Selene and Mike’s decision to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), which has initiated a government investigation into the grounds for their termination. We have faith that the National Labor Relations Board, the agency which enforces the NLRA, will find in the organizers’ favor.

We call upon The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization to do the following:

1. Issue a public apology to all parties involved (past workers, current workers and the community) in the disruptive nature of their choices.

2. Collaborate with workers to establish a peer-review system regarding disciplinary actions and terminations. Workers are entitled to have a peer witness present during disciplinary meetings, and the ability to directly contest disciplinary actions made by management.

3. Host a community wide meeting to address original grievances given to the board: the Executive Director’s hours as of the 30 hour pay cut, democracy and transparency in LVEJO

WELCOME TO CHICAGOIWW.ORG!

The IWW is an international union for all workers, dedicated to rank-and-file direct action, shop floor organization, and class solidarity in order to win better economic conditions today and to build a world without bosses tomorrow.

FUTURE MEETINGS AND EVENTS

PREAMBLE TO THE IWW CONSTITUTION

The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.
Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth.
We find that the centring of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class.
The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers.
These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.
Instead of the conservative motto, “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage system.”
It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown.
By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.